A pair of Seattle Seahawks players were fined for infractions committed in last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
We’ll start off with the fine for a penalty that was not called at the time. Safety Julian Love was docked $11,817 for an illegal low block on All-Pro 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who was blocking on a screen pass to Deebo Samuel. You can watch Love (No. 20) knock a charging Williams (No. 71) off his feet and make initial contact below the waist.
The NFL considered this a low block by Julian Love on Trent Williams, which will cost him $11,817. pic.twitter.com/fIfwODHJSO
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) October 19, 2024
A block below the waist is when the initial contact with any part of the blocker’s body is below the waist of an opponent, other than the runner, who has one or both feet on the ground. A blocker who makes contact above the waist and then slides below the waist has not blocked below the waist. If an opponent uses his hands to ward off a block creating contact below the waist, it is not a block below the waist.
The NFL has recently tightened rules on low blocks, which were previously forbidden on changes of possession and kicks, but have since been expanded to scrimmage plays for offensive and defensive players.
This was a 3rd and 18 play that the Seahawks nearly gave up without the penalty, but it should’ve been a penalty based on the rulebook.
Meanwhile, the controversial face mask penalty on Leonard Williams cost Williams $11,255. A false start was called prior to Deebo Samuel’s handoff and run, but the crowd was so loud that most of the players continued through the whistle. Williams did clearly grab the face mask, which resulted in a dead-ball personal foul penalty and a first down for the 49ers.
The Leonard Williams face mask on Deebo Samuel after the false start, which superseded the 49ers false start penalty instead of offset, lightened his wallet by $11,255.
Obviously Williams didn’t hear the whistle. The face mask still happened and it was obvious. pic.twitter.com/L2WRkmSFnB
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) October 19, 2024
By rule, a 15-yard penalty supersedes a 5-yard penalty, so there only controversy you could have is whether a flag should’ve been thrown at all on Williams. The problem for Williams is he obviously face-masked Samuel, and that doesn’t cease to be a penalty whether the play is live or not.
If one or more fouls by one team includes a 15-yard penalty, and the penalty for the foul or fouls committed by the other team is for a five-yard penalty without an automatic first down, a loss of down, or a 10-second runoff (15 yards versus five yards), or that is not a spot foul, the 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, and the five-yard penalty is disregarded.
No 49ers players were fined, and Dre’Mont Jones avoided a fine for his face mask foul on Jordan Mason.
